Gas mixing apparatus



D. BALACHOWSKY ET AL GAS MIXING APPARATUS Filed Jan. 26, 1927 5 Sheets-Sheet 1 y v ag afar-W 2 D. BALACHOWSKY ET AL ,815, 77

July 21, 1931 GAS MIXING APPARATUS Filed Jan. 26, 1927 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 y 1931- D. BALACHOWSKY ET AL 5,177

GAS MIXING APPARATUS Filed Jan. 26, 192.7

3 Sheets-Sheet 3 W2 @201. 2 2X1] X y :E

eaenaa July 21, test entree DMITRY BALACHOWSKY AND PHILIPPE CAIRE, OF PARIS, FRANCE, ASSIGNORS TO SOCIETE DES BREVETS CATALEX, OF GENEVA, SWITZERLAND GAS MIXING APPARATUS Application filed January 26, 1927, Serial No. 163,816, and in France January 27, 1926.

This invention relates to the catalytic decomposition or cracking 9f heavy hydrocarbons to enable their use in feeding internal combustion engines, and is an extension or development of the inventions described in our-prior Patent No. 1,630,048, granted May 24, 1927, and our prior application Serial No. 40,389, filed June 29, 1925, of which this case is a continuation in part. Cracking of heavy hydrocarbons takes place underthe action of a heated catalyzer, and produces hydrocarbon gases which are lighter than the original hydrocarbons, together with heavier nonsaturated hydrocarbon gases rich in carbon.

The invention has for its object the provision of an apparatus for producing an intimate, absolutely homogeneous mixture of the aforesaid gases and air by means of an intense or energetic stirring at the moment when, due to catalytic action, the hydrocarbon gases of different densities are formed; such mixture being thereafter introduced into the cylinders of the engine.

In the accompanying drawings:

Figure 1 is a longitudinal sectional View of a form of apparatus embodying the invention;

Fig. 2 is a vertical cross-section on line 2-2, Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a cross-sectional view somewhat similar to Fig. 2, but showing the use of hollow rods;

Figs. 4 and 5 are transverse and longitudinal sections of a modification.

Referring to Figs. 1 and 2, the apparatus therein illustrated essentially comprises two spirals or coils a and a, similar to'those of a centrifugal pump or a fan, connected together at their central portions by means of a bundle of tubes 6. Rods b are arranged axially in these tubes having, for instance, a twisted or screw-shaped form, and they should, preferably, be made of a metal the catalyzing action of which assists decomposition. The rods are connected with the very body of the coils; the purpose being to produce, while breaking up the stream of gas, shocks of liquid particles and globules that are not yet vaporized and decomposed against the walls. r

The mixture of air and heavy hydrocarbon coming from an ordinary carbureter enters the catalyzer by the right-hand coil a (the inlet of this coil does not appear in Figs. 1 and 2 because it opens into the coil in front of the plane of Fig. 1), whirls about in said coil and enters the tube nest or bundle b, and then passes into the outlet coil a which it leaves by a passage or conduit a connected to the engine. The circulation of the mixture through the catalyzer is, of course, effected by the suction of the engine. I

In case the mixture subjected to catalysis does not contain the entire amount of air necessary for combustion, enough air can be supplied to the outlet coil a to enable combustion to be completed in the engine. The

supplemental air enters by way of the pipe (1 and unites with the mixture after the latter has undergone catalysis, the resultant or total mixture leaving the coil by the passage a The rods 6 can be replaced by hollow rods b (see Fig. 5) and in that event they will be traversed internally by the hot exhaust gases which enter the catalyzer through the inlet 8 and leave it by way of the outlet 8. The catalyzer itself should, by preference, be constructed of metal having as intense a catalyzing action as possible, and it can be heated'either by. the exhaust gases or electrically or in any other suitable manner. If desired, an opening can be provided leading directly to an outlet, in order to feed the engine by means of an ordinary gasoline carbureter during starting, at which time the feed of the mixture'of heavy hydrocarbon and air to the catalyzer is discontinued.

Without departing from the scope of the invention, which essentially involves an energetic stirring and homogeneous mixing of catalytically decomposed gases, the structural modifications shown in Figs. 4 and 5 may be adopted. This structure -differs from that first described merely in that the coils a, a are replaced by a spiral or helix 6; the admissionof the hydrocarbons to be catalyzed taking place tangentially at 7, so

that the fluid or liquid stream has a gyratory or whirling movement imparted to it, while having an extended surface contact with outer tube 03 and an inner tube 1', as shown,

or either of such tubes. Catalyzed gases are discharged at f and exhaust gases at g, the latter entering the apparatus at h.

The figures specified show the use of exhaust gases and of an electric current for heating purposes. It will be observed that within the apparatus and inside tube 2' there is located a support j made of some insulating and refractory material such as porcelain, kaolin, etc., and on which is wound a nickel-chrome or other steel wire is ofiering a high resistance and becoming incandescent under the action of an electric-current; the latter being supplied from any suitable source, and of alternating, direct or induced character. T he body of the apparatus may also be heated either partly or wholly by induction, by means, for example, of a coil wound therearound and traversed by alternating currents.

The heat radiating from the tube 2' or from any other form of heated wall enables the engine to be started cold with heavy oils. The current can be moderated when starting has been effected, and it can be fed to the resistance element only when the engine is running at rather low speed. Direct heating can also be used; that is to say, the inner tube 2' can be omitted, provided that the incandescent wire is itself made of catalytic metal, as, for instance, copper, nickel, or platinum-nickel, In that event, the central tube being omitted, the resistance is in direct contact with the gas stream.

We claim as our invention 1. A catalytic mixer for insertion between a carbureter and an internal combustion engine, embodying an outer casing defining a chamber to be traversed by a hot fluid; and an inner chamber through which a mixture of air and hydrocarbons from the carbureter is circulated, said inner chamber comprising a pair of hollow heads and a bundle of tubes connecting them, and means within saidtubes for exerting a catalytic action on the hydrocarbons.

2. A catalytic mixer for insertion between a carbureter and an internal combustion engine, embodying an outer casing defining a chamber to be traversed by a hot fluid; and an inner chamber through which a mixture of air and hydrocarbons from the carbureter is circulated, said inner chamber comprising a pair of hollow heads, one having an inlet for the mixture and the other having an outlet therefor, a bundle of tubes connecting said heads, and means within said tubes for exerting a catalytic action on the hydrocarbons.

3. A catalytic mixer according to claim 2, in which the outlet head is provided with an inlet for secondary air.

4. A catalytic mixer for insertion between a .carbureter and an internal combustion engine, embodying an outer casing defining a chamber to be traversed by the exhaust gases from the engine, and an inner chamber through which a mixture of air and hydro carbons from the carbureter is circulated, said inner chamber comprising a pair of hollow heads, one having an inlet for the mixture and the other having an outlet therefor, a bundle of tubes connecting said heads, means within said tubes for exerting a catalytic action on the hydrocarbons, and a conduit for supplying secondary air leading into the outlet head.

5. A catalytic mixer for insertion between a carbureter and an internal combustion engine, comprising a casing; a bundle of tubes of catalytic material therewithin, said casing defining a chamber enclosing the tubes and being provided with an inlet and an outlet for the circulation of a heating medium through the chamber and around and in direct contact with the surface of the catalyzing tubes; an inlet for carbureted mixture from the carbureter to flow into and through the tubes in fine streams; means for supplying primary air to said mixture to form an intimate emulsion therewith; means for supplying secondary air to said emulsion to form a mixture to be burned in the engine; and an outlet for the final mixture.

6. A catalytic mixer, according to claim 5, in which the catalyzing tubes are connected at one end to a hollow inlet head, and at the other end to a hollow outlet head; the firstnamed head having an inlet for the carbureted mixture, and the second-named head having an outlet for the final mixture.

In testimony whereof we aflix our signatures.

DMITRY BA LACHOWSKY. PHILIPPE CAIRE. 

